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Social dialog

Social dialog kan definieras som förhandlingar, samråd, gemensamma åtgärder, diskussioner och informationsutbyte mellan arbetsgivare och arbetstagare. En väl fungerande social dialog är en viktig förutsättning för att skapa goda arbetsvillkor, och den omfattar många olika aktörer på olika nivåer. Den skapar balans mellan arbetstagarnas och arbetsgivarnas intressen och bidrar till både ekonomisk konkurrenskraft och social sammanhållning.

Den senaste tidens politiska diskussioner på EU-nivå har belyst att det – framför allt sedan krisen 2008 – har växt fram nya diskussioner om social rättvisa, demokrati, arbetets kvalitet och nya modeller för arbetsmarknadsrelationer, som utmanar de traditionella näringslivsrelationerna och systemen för social dialog.

Trettio år efter den historiska invigningen av den europeiska sociala dialogen i Val Duchesse i Bryssel, inledde kommissionen den 5 mars 2015 en process för en nystart för den sociala dialogen vid ett evenemang på hög nivå som samlade representanter från arbetsmarknadens parter från hela Europa. Den europeiska sociala dialogen är ett instrument för EU:s socialpolitik som direkt bidrar till att utforma EU:s arbetslagstiftning och politik.

Topic

Recent updates

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From January to June 2022, Eurofound supported the work of France's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

Web page
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From July to December 2023, Eurofound supported the work of Spain's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

Web page

EU context

Eurofounds arbete

Beslutsfattarna behöver underbyggda bevis för att förstå de förändringar som sker på arbetsmarknaden och reagera på den föränderliga dynamiken i Europas arbetsmarknadsrelationer. Eurofound använder uppgifter och analyser från sitt nätverk av medarbetare i de 28 EU-medlemsstaterna och Norge för att kartlägga trender och mönster och för att framhålla exempel på välfungerade sociala dialoger på både europeisk och nationell nivå.

Eurofounds forskning går in på aspekter som arbetstagarnas delaktighet, kollektiv förhandling, arbetstagarrepresentativitet och arbetsmarknadsrelationer på alla nivåer. Man tittar också på i vilken utsträckning arbetsmarknadsrelationerna har anpassats till multinationella organisationers framväxt. Det finns även ett globalt perspektiv där system för arbetsmarknadsrelationer och resultat jämförs med ekonomier utanför EU, exempelvis USA och Japan.

Viktiga bidrag

Eurofound har under de senaste 40 åren producerat en stor mängd arbete som kartlägger de många och föränderliga aspekterna av den sociala dialogen i Europa på olika nivåer – på företagsnivå såväl som på nationell, europeisk och internationell nivå.

Under de senaste åren har Eurofound gjort djupanalyser av olika frågor som utgör den sociala dialogens kärna, exempelvis 

Eurofounds representativitetsstudier, som genomförts inom en rad sektorer på grundval av ett mandat från kommissionen 2006, ger den grundläggande information som behövs för att inrätta och driva de branschvisa kommittéerna inom den sociala dialogen på europeisk nivå.

Resurser

Ordlistan över arbetsmarknadsbegrepp, European Industrial Relations Dictionary, utarbetades 2005 som ett referensverktyg på nätet för beslutsfattare och andra aktörer och är en värdefull samling information om sysselsättning och arbetsmarknadsrelationer i EU. I landprofilerna om arbetsliv finns relevant kontextuell information om de strukturer, institutioner och regler som styr arbetslivet i EU:s 28 medlemsstater och Norge, samt på EU-nivå.

Databaserna över kollektiv löneförhandling och löner, arbetstid och kollektiva tvister syftar till att förse forskare och beslutsfattare med kvantitativ och kvalitativ information om dessa ämnen i alla medlemsstater och Norge från 2000 till nutid.

Key outputs

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Under senare år har det, förutom under vissa periodiska toppar, förekommit en allmän minskning av stridsåtgärder i medlemsstaterna. Under covid-19-pandemin har denna trend fortsatt, och de största arbetsmarknadskonflikterna relaterade till...

7 februari 2022
Publication
Research report
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This publication consists of individual country reports on working life during 2020 for 29 countries – the 27 EU Member States, Norway and the United Kingdom. The country reports summarise...

23 mars 2021
Publication
Other

Current and ongoing research

 

In the course of the programming period 2021–2024, Eurofound will continue regular monitoring of social dialogue, including through the EU PolicyWatch database.

Other topics addressed include:

  • Monitoring of the role of national social partners in the European semester and analysis of quality and effectiveness of their involvement 
  • Summary of discussions on capacity-building social dialogue to support a meaningful and effective social dialogue 
  • Research on industrial relations covering topics related to both social dialogue and working life developments, including updates on collectively agreed pay
  • Representativeness studies on a variety of sectors to provide the European Commission required information to assess the representativeness of European sectoral social partner organisations.

 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and focuses on comparative industrial relations, social dialogue and collective bargaining...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
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Mária Sedláková is a research officer in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is responsible for drafting overview reports for sectoral representativeness studies, management...

Research officer,
Working life research unit
Publications results (251)

This document examines the process of assessing the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the civil aviation sector. It summarises the findings from a comprehensive study on representativeness in this sector. The study identifies ETF, ECA an

20 December 2022

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the textile and clothing sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective

20 December 2022

This document examines the process of assessing the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the textile and clothing sector. It summarises the findings from a comprehensive study on representativeness in this sector. The study identifies Indus

20 December 2022

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the electricity sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

02 December 2022

I denna rapport analyseras den roll som social dialog och kollektiva förhandlingar har för att ta itu med de utmaningar som sektorn för civil luftfart ställdes inför under covid-19-pandemin. Arbetsmarknadsparternas deltagande i de åtgärder som införts för att mildra pandemins negativa effekter

01 December 2022

I denna rapport analyseras den roll som social dialog och kollektiva förhandlingar spelade i hanteringen av de utmaningar som covid-19-pandemin medförde eller förvärrade inom sjukhussektorn. Rapporten undersöker också om den befintliga sociala dialogen och de befintliga kollektiva

01 December 2022

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the Food and drink sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective

23 November 2022

This working paper investigates the practical implementation of the European Works Council (EWC) Directive at company level. It explores the challenges faced by existing EWCs and provides examples of solutions identified and remaining issues from the point of view of both workers and management. In

25 October 2022

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the gas sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the

06 September 2022

I denna rapport analyseras den senaste utvecklingen och framväxande metoder på området för kollektivförhandlingar och resultatet av dessa, främst inom den privata sektorn. Rapporten undersöker system för kollektivförhandlingar i tio EU-medlemsstater och bygger på fall som identifierats genom

31 August 2022

Online resources results (435)

Romania: Amendments to law on social dialogue proposed in parliament

In May 2015, the Romanian Parliament adopted a set of amendments to the Social Dialogue Act. However, in June, the President sent the law back to Parliament for reexamination, claiming that the criteria for representativeness of unions at company level must be reduced.

Finland: New government challenges tradition of tripartite consensus

Finland’s new right-wing coalition government has challenged the country’s tradition of tripartite consensus. When taking office in May 2015, its plan to revitalise the economy included a threat of additional austerity measures if the social partners did not agree to a 'social contract' to improve

Norway: Moderate outlook dominates mid-year pay negotiations

The 2015 negotiations of wage rates in nationwide collective agreements were characterised by moderation, as social partners adapted their demands to a bleaker economic outlook. The trend-setting industries agreement is estimated to increase wages by 2.7% in 2015.

Lithuania: Unions protest at new draft social model law

The draft legislation on a new social model has prompted widespread protest from trade unions who fear that the new law will undermine social guarantees and have negative effects on working conditions.

France: New bill on social dialogue should bolster employee representation

Rules to modernise social dialogue are being introduced in France after a new bill was adopted by parliament in July 2015. It heralds many changes for consultation bodies and collective bargaining at company level. The bill was launched by the government after social partners at national level

Bulgaria: Proposed electricity price rise sparks protest from both sides of industry

Planned rises in electricity prices have drawn heated objections from employer organisations and trade unions and have led to large demonstrations.

Austria: Unions adamantly oppose proposed opt-out clauses

A debate on opt-out-clauses could be seen as a sign of a rougher political climate between the social partners, implying changes to the basics of the traditional social partnership model in Austria.

Italy: Much-debated education reform bill called to vote

In July of this year, a significant reform of the Italian educational system was approved. Through the measures, the government aims to modernise the national school system and so foster a more highly skilled workforce and managerial class. However, the reform process has been strongly criticised by


Blogs results (6)

The COVID-19 pandemic made us acutely aware of how dependent our society is on certain essential workers. We felt deep gratitude towards workers in healthcare especially, because they worked ceaselessly in often-difficult conditions.

22 november 2023
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Decision-makers approached minimum wage setting for 2021 cautiously due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Despite this, nominal statutory minimum wages rose in most Member States and the UK, although at lower rates than in recent years.

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In the context of the ongoing trend of a fall in collective bargaining coverage, and recent calls at EU level to promote collective bargaining coverage as an instrument to support fair and decent wages, new data from Eurofound’s fourth European Company Survey (ECS) show that two-thirds of workers (i

28 oktober 2020
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The workings of industrial relations are constantly evolving. In this blog piece, Eurofound authors Christian Welz and Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras discuss a tool that Eurofound has developed to enable this process of change to be monitored and analysed, enabling stakeholders in Member States to asse

28 mars 2018
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Europe has gone through significant economic change over the past decade. Businesses have had to manage the challenges posed by the financial crisis, globalisation and a rapidly changing labour market. Eurofound's new report Win-win arrangements: Innovative measures through social dialogue at compan

3 oktober 2016
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The new European Commission (EC) under President Jean-Claude Juncker is committed to re-launching social dialogue and a first step was taken with the organisation of a high-level conference in Brussels on 5 March. The aim of the conference was to discuss concrete ways to strengthen social dialogue w

20 april 2015
Upcoming publications results (7)

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the graphical industry. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

July 2025

This report reviews the quality of the national social partners’ involvement in the implementation of the reforms and investments shaping the digital and green transition in the context of national policymaking. These reforms and investments stem mainly from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

March 2025

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the extractive industries sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective par

December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the construction sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participatio

December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the chemical sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in

December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the road transport sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participat

December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the postal and courier activities sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effec

November 2024

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